What a Masquerade
by Serena Thorn
Summary: Sylaire. Nathan is having his annual black and white masquerade tonight and two guests certainly seem to be enjoying one another. What will happen when the masks come off and Claire realizes she's fallen for the enemy? Oneshot.


_Disclaimer: Heroes is not owned by me, but by Tim Kring. I'm simply borrowing these characters for non-profit entertainment._

_A/N: AU-ish. Future fic. Oh, and Sylar and Claire aren't related in my universe :p Not sure what else there is to say so I hope you enjoy._

_

* * *

  
_Claire knew why she had come to this party. To help keep up appearances for her biological father, Nathan. Better known as President Petrelli to the rest of the world.

She was comforted at least that it happened to be his annual black and white masquerade ball. She hated being recognized and having to mingle with his associates.

She couldn't remember though what had made this one guest so intriguing. Maybe it was how he walked, his height, his brilliant brown eyes, perhaps even his voice.

He had seemed so familiar and yet so foreign all at once. Maybe that was the attraction.

What ever it had been had kept her from being bored tonight. He had even managed to make her thankful she had come to the party.

They danced, they laughed, they even somehow forget anyone else was in the vast, crowded room for a while. All of this despite neither having seen the other's face.

It was a masquerade ball after all. Everyone was wearing masks and clothes as far removed from their day to day as possible.

Claire enjoyed it however. Feeling certain that no one was seeing her as "The President's Niece" or "The Girl Who Couldn't Die." Here she could just be a normal young woman.

Though little could she know that the man she was having such a wonderful time with tonight was the man she had once most feared.

Sylar on the other hand knew full well who she was. That was why he hadn't introduced himself. He didn't want her to see him as the man who had sought after her for her abilities, the man who had terrorized her and had her living in fear for years.

He wanted her to see that he could be gentle and caring and truly interested in her for more than her powers.

Sylar hadn't meant to fall in love with his former prey. But he had never truly meant to cause her pain and from the moment he had felt for himself just how much anguish he had caused her he had wanted nothing more than to take it away.

Tonight he would try to do just that the best that he could. In any way that she would let him.

"Some people are starting to stare," the black-clad man finally stated as he reluctantly took his lips from hers.

"Well there are some places where we could continue this," Claire smirked up at him.

Sylar didn't have to read her mind to know exactly what she was thinking. Everything he needed to see what flickering in her blue eyes.

Within moments they were stumbling into a pitch black room at the top of the stairs. Sylar kicked the door closed behind them while keeping his arms around the petite blonde through their heated kiss.

Only when they reached the bed did they come to a stop. And it was then their masks fell to the floor. It was too dark for them to truly see the other's face but neither seemed to mind.

Still their hands wandered over every bit of skin they could reach even as they continued shedding more and more of their costumes. Only moments later, though seemingly an eternity to them, finally there was nothing left to separate his skin from hers.

Slowly so as not to break the kiss, Claire moved to sit on the side of the mattress, smiling against her companion's lips as he followed.

Soon it was all too much and yet not enough. With every motion, every touch, every thrust and every blissful groan and sigh they felt their bodies aflame. Both knew that only the shared sated glow that would follow this blinding, white-hot passion would be enough to extinguish these flames.

Despite wishing this could last for all eternity finally the moment they had both been striving for and trying to hold off was there.

It took all Sylar had not to call out his lover's name, though Claire likely would have hardly noticed as her own body succumbed to the undeniable pleasure her former foe had given her.

It seemed ages before he found the strength to move beside her. Though almost as if to prove he wasn't the same heartless so-called monster she had known those years ago, he remained close to her and smiled as she nuzzled into him. He didn't even have to think as he curled an arm around her.

He wasn't sure what he should say. Or if there was even a need to say anything. He wanted her to know yet feared ruining what he felt to be a perfect moment. Here he was with the woman he secretly loved in his arms and at the same time she couldn't know who he was. Not without her likely trying to kill him. Or at the very least make him wish he were dead.

And just then her fearing him again would do just that.

Only when he felt he could be sure that she had drifted off to sleep did he hear the words he had been fighting to suppress escape his still kiss-swollen lips.

"I love you, Claire."

To his surprise she stirred just slightly. Panic didn't even have time to set in as she spoke.

Her eyes still closed, her voice barely above a whisper, she replied, "I love you too, Sylar."

His eyes wide, somehow finding his voice he only managed to ask, "How- ?"

Claire let her eyes open then, intentionally keeping her mind clear as she looked to him. Finally she told him what she had realized several minutes ago.

"The only man who could touch me like that would have to know my every thought. You're the only one who could ever read my mind that easily and never say a word about it unless you had to."

Still dumbfounded, he asked, "Why didn't you say anything before now?"

"Because I didn't want you to stop," came her soft reply. She let out a deep breath she didn't realize she had been holding and continued, "It's been a long time since I didn't want you to touch me. Now I just don't want you to let me go."

A gentle smile appeared on Sylar's lips and he held her closer before replying, "That's one thing you never have to fear."

With that she was kissing him again, both once again wishing that this kiss and this night never had to end.

The End


End file.
